The summer holidays are in full flow. Abta, the Travel Association, estimates that 2.2 million British holidaymakers are set to head overseas this weekend, while across the next six weeks, more than 30 million seats are scheduled to depart from UK airports, according to aviation analytics firm Cirium.
However, these numbers represent a modest increase from summer 2025 – scheduled departures for this coming weekend are up by just 1.5 per cent compared to last year.
Cirium projects the busiest weekend of the summer for flight departures from the UK to be August bank holiday, while the Advantage Travel Partnership – which represents independent travel businesses – has noted that more people are booking last-minute than ever.
This can be partly attributed to uncertainty about border delays and heatwaves in Europe, jet fuel shortages and volatility in the Middle East. If you are preparing to get away, here’s how to ensure things go as smoothly as possible…
Border queues in Europe
